1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of recording data and information regarding defects of an information recording medium onto such a medium.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, an optical disk or an optical card to optically record information is known as a WORM type information recording medium. In the case of recording or reproducing data onto/from such a recording medium, the data is generally managed for every file. Auxiliary data, namely, what is called a directory is used to manage the file data. The directory information ordinarily includes file information such as a file name, file length, head track, and the like and is written into a part of the recording medium. However, in the case when a defect occurs in a part of the recording medium and an area in which the data cannot be recorded or reproduced occurs, an alternating process to again record the same information into an area (hereinafter, referred to as an alternating area) in place of the defective area is executed in order to relieve the information in such a defective area. A method of executing such an alternating process has been proposed in JP-A-61-243994. The alternating processing method will now be described hereinbelow with reference to FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, an optical card 1 is shown as a WORM type information recording medium. A recording area of the optical card 1 is divided into a data recording area 2 and a directory area 3. Tracks T.sub.1 to T.sub.4 are typically shown in the data recording area 2. It is now assumed that a series of information as much as three tracks is recorded as one file and the file name is set to A. A directory D.sub.1 in the directory area 3 relates to directory information to manage the file data recorded on the tracks T.sub.1 to T.sub.4 and comprises a file name 5-1, a data recording start track number 5-2, a total track number 5-3, and a recording error track number 5-4. Reference numeral 4 denotes a track number of each track.
In the case of recording information of the file A onto the optical card 1, the information is first recorded to the head track T.sub.1. Just after the recording of the information, the recorded information on the track T.sub.1 is read out and verified. As a result of the verification, when a point that the information has normally been recorded can be confirmed, information is recorded onto the next track T.sub.2. In a manner similar to the above, a series of file data is sequentially recorded onto the tracks T.sub.3 and T.sub.4. If a verification error occurred in the track T.sub.3, the number of the track in which the error has occurred is recorded into a memory. The number of a track number memory in which the track number of the data has been accumulated is rewritten from the 3-track to the 4-track. Subsequently, the data to be recorded to the track T.sub.3 is again recorded to the track T.sub.4. When no error is detected as a result of the verification, it is determined that all of the data of the file A could be recorded, so that the directory information such as file name A, data recording start track number, and the like mentioned above is recorded into the directory D.sub.1. Just after the recording of the directory D.sub.1, the directory information is also obviously verified. Upon reproduction of the data, the directory information is read out before the data is read out. If there is a track having an error, such a track is skipped and the data of the track on the alternating side is read out.
However, according to the conventional information recording method, when a number of tracks having recording errors exist in one file, there is a case where in all of the error track numbers cannot be recorded in one directory, so that there is a problem such that an obstacle occurs in the management of the file data.
Upon execution of the alternating process as mentioned above, when a defect also exists in the alternating area, the alternating process is retried while avoiding the defect in the alternating area. The number of retry times has been predetermined for the recording apparatus. When the alternating process is finished within the number of retry times, the alternating management information is recorded. When the alternating process is not finished within the number of retry times, the alternating management information is not recorded.
Therefore, in the conventional method, in the case when the recording medium is taken out from the recording apparatus in a state in which the alternating process is not finished within the number of retry times and the alternating management information is not recorded as well and, thereafter, the recording medium is again loaded into the recording apparatus, if the operator intends to record information, so long as there are defects upon recording and the alternating process is executed, there are the following drawbacks.
(1) Since the defect position of the alternating area is not recorded in the alternating management information, the alternating process is performed at the position where the error has once occurred, and an error again occurs, so that the access time becomes slow. In the worst case, in the retries of all of the alternating processes, the alternating process is performed at the defect position and is not finished within the number of retry times.
(2) If the recording apparatus searches a defect in the alternating area in order to avoid the problem of the above item (1), it takes a long time.